pull (one's) chestnuts out of the fire

pull (one's) chestnuts out of the fire

To do a difficult, and often dangerous, task for someone else's benefit. David really pulled my chestnuts out of the fire that time he saved me from drowning.I can't believe my car broke down on this desolate road late at night—thank you so much for pulling my chestnuts out of the fire and picking me up!

pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire

or

pull the chestnuts out of the fire

OLD-FASHIONED

If you pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire or pull the chestnuts out of the fire, you save someone from a very difficult situation which they have caused themselves. It's not our business, pulling their chestnuts out of the fire.The President tried to use the CIA to pull the chestnuts out of the fire. Note: This expression is based on the fable of the cat and the monkey. The cat wanted to get some roast chestnuts out of the fire but did not want to burn its paws, so it persuaded the monkey to do the job instead.

pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire

succeed in a hazardous undertaking for someone else's benefit.

This expression refers to the fable of a monkey using a cat's paw (or in some versions a dog's paw) to rake out roasting chestnuts from a fire. Cat's paw is sometimes used as a term for someone who is used by another person as a tool or stooge.

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